China in Mexico

In my previous post I wrote about the mural paintings in the former College of San Ildefonso.  The large colonial building is used for special art exhibits.  I made a special trip to San Ildefonso because I had seen advertisements for a exhibit of masterpieces from the Chinese National Museum of Art.

When I got there, I was disappointed.  I was expecting works from the many dynasties of China's long history.  Instead it was an exhibit of contemporary art.  If you have followed my blog for some time, you know that contemporary art is usually not my cup of tea.  However the works displayed in this exhibit were not "out there" as is the case with so much contemporary stuff that is passed off as art. 

What I found most interesting however were the last three rooms of the show which were devoted to popular arts.

One room displayed masks and costumes used in the Chinese opera.

The following room featured the intricate images used in shadow puppet shows.

Finally there was a display of elaborate, traditional designs made from cut paper.